In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It's a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn's shipboard romance to blossom. But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World--isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father--his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him? When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not--bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not. Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?

As a long time fan of both Amish fiction and Ms. Fisher’s, I was excited to jump on this book. I must say that I am quite pleased that I did! Pennsylvania, Amish, and history, this book is one of Ms. Fisher’s finest pieces of work. I loved every minute of this story. This particular book is a little different than most Amish romances that I read, in that it’s more of the Amish settling in America.

The characters that fill the pages of this book are wonderful. Anna, Bairn, Felix, Jacob…..all are beautifully chiseled and complex with emotions, faith and struggles. I felt like I had come home and settled into America right alongside these wonderful characters!

Ms. Fisher’s ability to create a story, even a second story in a series, and not confuse the reader, is incredible. Her stories, like this one, are filled with God’s unending love, perseverance, romance and laughs. She adds a rollercoaster ride to the mix and keeps the readers hooked long in to the night as they have to turn each page to find out the next part of the story.

This 4 star worthy book gets recommendations from me. If you love historical books, romance books, and stories of the Amish, then this book is definitely one you don’t want to miss!

About Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher has a specialty: she writes about real people living in faith-based communities. With over 750,000 copies of books sold worldwide, she is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty-five books, ranging from children’s books (‘The Adventures of Lily Lapp’ series) to novels (“The Choice”) to non-fiction books (“Amish Peace: Simple Living for a Complicated World”).

When Suzanne isn’t writing, she’s probably playing with puppies. She’s been involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind for over fifteen years. Raising puppies, she says, is like eating a potato chip. You just can’t stop at one.